Note: We don't currently fly to Vancouver, but hope Frontier will add Vancouver again to its destinations. Scouts have already posted some great information on their visits to Vancouver. You can drive there from Seattle or from Bellingham, WA. . Just click on the link below for information or go to the Vancouver, Canada link in this Wiki. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike Summers - December 2016:
Flew up to Seattle for a day before driving on up to Vancouver, BC. We took the first flight to Seattle at 7:00 AM. After landing we took the light rail to downtown. Our Hotel, the Roosevelt, in Seattle let us check in early (10:00 AM). The Roosevelt Hotel is located near Pine and 7th Avenue, which is easy walking distance to about everything. We took the monorail to the Space Needle. We walked to Pike Market. We walked to Pioneer Square. And we walked to the Pyramid Brewery near the Mariner Baseball Park. The next morning, I took the light rail back to the airport, rode the rental bus from the terminal out to the rental car facility, and picked up our rental car. I met my wife at the Roosevelt, and we drove to Vancouver. The drive is a casual three hour excursion north on Interstate 5 (Don't forget your Passport). We decided to save some money by parking our car at the Vancouver Airport for $10.00 per day as opposed to $42.00 per day at our Vancouver Hotel (Marriott). Once you cross the border, Interstate 5 becomes British Columbia Highway 99. Follow the signs for the Airport YVR. We figured that the airport would not only be convenient, but a safe place to park. We took the light rail from the airport to the "City Centre Station", which was only five blocks from our hotel. Check out the Vancouver information below for ideas!
Kris Mitchell - September 2011:
Whistler, British Columbia and Banff, Alberta, Canada
Bellingham is the best kept secret when going North to BC and Alberta or West to the San Juan Islands/Anacortes - to catch the ferry.
Bellingham is 45 min. from Vancouver (depending upon the customs line) If line is long, check your map and go thru another check point!
We rented a car in Bellingham, drove up to Vancouver's fish market on the harbour looking across to the city. Drove on to Squamish, BC, spent nite in this fun little fishing town. Had excellent fish dinner with cold Hard Cider on the River. Did the gondola up to Whistler and also the one at Banff. Great drive thur those majestic Canadian Rockies!! Be sure to walk thru the Giant Cedar Groves National Park near Revelstoke. Also, some friends from Steamboat own a B&B in Revelstoke (excellent skiing!!). Contact me if you want specifics. Kris Mitchell 303-462-3888.
Becky Crozier - April 2008:
Hi Everyone; I visited Victoria BC for a couple days and thought I'd pass on a great tip that I got from one of our newer Scouts. (I apologize for not remembering her name, but daughter is a student at University of Victoria.) The University rents out dorm rooms, suites, and even family housing during the summer. My room was only $52 and included breakfast. Visitors have free internet, access to a the library, coffee shops, cafes, a bar and a major bus exchange. You don't need to buy snacks, supplies or anything. It's all right there. Here is the website: http://housing.uvic.ca/
A lot of people take the Victoria Clipper ferry from Seattle over to Victoria, but I was by myself and in a bit of a hurry, so I flew Alaska/Horizon from Seattle. It was around $95 RT, the same price as the ferry, but it only took around half hour to fly there, and I didn't have to go to downtown Seattle and wait to board the ferry. I figured I saved half a day, as I had already been through a lot of downtown Victoria by the time the Clipper pulled up.
The bus system is fantastic in Victoria, even though you'll read some opinions that it's too far from the airport, doesn't run frequently enough. Don't believe any of it. The bus drivers are really helpful and nice.
My main goal was to visit Buchart Gardens, as I am a flower nut. When they say it's crowded in the middle of the day - you can believe it. That's when all the tours pull up. So go early or go in the evening when there are concerts in the main park. Buchart exceeded my expectations.
So think about going to Victoria whether by air or by water, or do one of each way. You'll probably think it's as beautiful as I did. Mitzi Titzer - May 2008:
A little extra info... Frontier has an agreement with the Victoria Clipper as well. We went through the Frontier Pass Bureau for Clipper tickets last month and we paid only $15 round trip! another option is to show your Frontier badge at the Victoria Clipper ticket window. Cheryl Hydrick - July 2007:
If you fly in for an overnight trip, make sure you see Stanley Park and Granville Island. If you stay downtown both are accessible by foot. Walk down to the Bay and follow the path towards the bridge to catch the $2.50 ferry to Granville Island where you will find a wonderful market in several buildings with fresh produce, baked goods, and crafts. Be sure to be hungry when you go there. The park has extensive walking trails and many kinds of flora and wildlife to view. Be sure to sit out with the towns people and watch the sunset, as many gather there after work to sit on the grass and enjoy the evening. For an overnight you do not need a car, as there are many things to do by foot. A cab ride into town is around $30, and a bus is available from the airport for a small amount. The town is in construction for the 2010 Olympics and building monorails to the airport etc.
Mike Summers - February 2010:
Even though we don't fly to Vancouver anymore, it's an easy two-hour drive from Seattle. Rental car companies are okay with crossing the border (don't forget your Passport). There are a couple of Native American Casinos along the drive north from Seattle on Interstate 5, which I stopped and visited. I had been to Vancouver in 2008 when we flew there. I went again during the 2010 Winter Olympics. It's a great town. Here's the city's visitor website that includes information about what to see and do: http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/ . It has great vistas, enjoyable people-watching, nice parks, and great food. I especially like the Yaletown Brewery at 1111 Mainland Street. It's website is www.markjamesgroup.com Nearby is the Hamilton Street Grill, which is a close second to the Yaletown. Here's their website: http://www.hamiltonstreetgrill.com/ . We also liked the Dockside Brewing Company, which is inside the Granville Island Hotel. It's expensive, but for special occasions it's a great place (Website: http://docksidebrewing.com/ ). On the east side of town we enjoyed Steamworks which is in the Gastown District. Website: http://www.steamworks.com/ . I would also recommend renting bicycles at Bayshore Bike Rentals www.bayshorebikerentals.ca If you rent a bike, make sure to ask for a bike lock. Then, you can stop somewhere and not worry about theft while eating or shopping. Stanley Park is a great place to bike/run/walk through. It's on the north end of the city, and it's enormous. You can reach it easily from any trail within the city. Vancouver map: http://vancouver.micromaps.com/ . Granville Island is also a nice place to bike or walk to. You can easily spend a comfortable two or three days visiting the city. If you do fly into town on another airline, the lightrail does connect the airport to the city. Here's a couple of websites: http://www.bcpassport.com/vancouver-public-transportation/vancouver-skytrain.aspx and http://www.skytrain.info/ which will also help youn travel around within the city.
Enjoy!
Mike Summers Kelowna (Okanagan Lake) B.C.:
Five and one-half hours north of Spokane by car (and Seattle) is the city of Kelowna, British Columbia (don't forget your passport). The town is located on the shore of Okanagan Lake and is surrounded by vineyards that have put this city on the map. The city (Websites: http://www.kelowna.ca/cm/site3.aspx and http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-481921-kelowna_vacations-i) has a population of around 110,000. If you want to fly, United has one flight daily from LAX. Alaska Air has three dailies from Seattle. It's well worth the trip for the wine. Many Okanagan wineries don't produce enough to distribute to the U.S. Plus, winter's freezing temperatures means the regions famous ice wines are in full production. If you visit in the summer, head over to downtown Kelowna's Stuart Park (Web info: http://www.kelowna.ca/CM/Page2062.aspx ) where there are many sailboats seen out on the lake (Website: http://www.perfectfitvacations.com/index.php?custom_page=kelowna ). If you like wine, there are a number of winery tours (Website: http://www.discoverokanagantours.com/winetours.htm ) that you can try. In the winter, the locals love snow biking (Website: http://www.monasheeadventuretours.com/ ). Check out Monashee Adventure Tours where you can experience the thrill of speeding downhill on one of their hybrid bikes. Or you can use the bikes to do a wine tour! A former fruit packing district, Kelowna's six block cultural center includes emerging Ellis Street, with plenty of new condos and boutiques. The Hotel Eldorado (Website: http://www.hoteleldoradokelowna.com/ ) is thequintessential lakeside retreat. The landmark building has it's own marina and liquor store. Prices start at $109.00 per night. Raudz (Website: http://raudz.com/RauDZ/RauDZ.html ) is the place to eat. Try to get a table facing the open kitchen and watch the chefs in action. Another favorite place is Tonics Pub and Grill (Website: http://tonicspub.ca/ ) . Try the peppercorn NY Steak and jumbo shrimp. Here's a website for other restaurants in Kelowna: http://kelownarestaurants.info/ . A fun experience is taking a tour at Urban Distilleries (Website: http://www.urbandistilleries.ca/ ). Our tour included a visit with owner Mike Urban. Then we went to the tasting room for a flight of spirits. We especially liked his single-malt whiskey. Other excellent adult establishments that you can visit include East Kelowna Cider Company (Website: http://www.eastkelownacider.com/ ), Tree Brewing Company (Website: http://www.treebeer.com/ ), and Okanagan Spirits (Website: http://www.okanaganspirits.com/ ). All are worth a visit! Winter in Kelowna brings ice wine, the intense, sweet dessert wine for which Canada is famous. Three great wineries would include Mission Hill, which feels more like a monastery than a winery (Websites: http://www.missionhillwinery.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Hill_Winery ); Summerhill Pyramid Winery is about ten minutes south of the city and has an excellent Riesling (Website: http://www.summerhill.bc.ca/ ); and Inniskillin (Website: http://www.kelowna.com/inniskillin-okanagan-vineyards ), which is a 90 minute drive from town, but the wines and vistas are worth the car time. Take a drive or a flight to this aprt of Canada. You'll love it!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vancouver Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Vancouver,_British_Columbia
Victoria Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Victoria_(British_Columbia)
British Columbia Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/British_Columbia
Kelowna Wikitravel Website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Kelowna
Note: We don't currently fly to Vancouver, but hope Frontier will add Vancouver again to its destinations. Scouts have already posted some great information on their visits to Vancouver. You can drive there from Seattle or from Bellingham, WA. . Just click on the link below for information or go to the Vancouver, Canada link in this Wiki.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Summers - December 2016:
Flew up to Seattle for a day before driving on up to Vancouver, BC. We took the first flight to Seattle at 7:00 AM. After landing we took the light rail to downtown. Our Hotel, the Roosevelt, in Seattle let us check in early (10:00 AM). The Roosevelt Hotel is located near Pine and 7th Avenue, which is easy walking distance to about everything. We took the monorail to the Space Needle. We walked to Pike Market. We walked to Pioneer Square. And we walked to the Pyramid Brewery near the Mariner Baseball Park. The next morning, I took the light rail back to the airport, rode the rental bus from the terminal out to the rental car facility, and picked up our rental car. I met my wife at the Roosevelt, and we drove to Vancouver. The drive is a casual three hour excursion north on Interstate 5 (Don't forget your Passport). We decided to save some money by parking our car at the Vancouver Airport for $10.00 per day as opposed to $42.00 per day at our Vancouver Hotel (Marriott). Once you cross the border, Interstate 5 becomes British Columbia Highway 99. Follow the signs for the Airport YVR. We figured that the airport would not only be convenient, but a safe place to park. We took the light rail from the airport to the "City Centre Station", which was only five blocks from our hotel. Check out the Vancouver information below for ideas!
Kris Mitchell - September 2011:
Whistler, British Columbia and Banff, Alberta, Canada
Bellingham is the best kept secret when going North to BC and Alberta or West to the San Juan Islands/Anacortes - to catch the ferry.
Bellingham is 45 min. from Vancouver (depending upon the customs line) If line is long, check your map and go thru another check point!
We rented a car in Bellingham, drove up to Vancouver's fish market on the harbour looking across to the city. Drove on to Squamish, BC, spent nite in this fun little fishing town. Had excellent fish dinner with cold Hard Cider on the River. Did the gondola up to Whistler and also the one at Banff. Great drive thur those majestic Canadian Rockies!! Be sure to walk thru the Giant Cedar Groves National Park near Revelstoke. Also, some friends from Steamboat own a B&B in Revelstoke (excellent skiing!!). Contact me if you want specifics. Kris Mitchell 303-462-3888.
Becky Crozier - April 2008:
Hi Everyone; I visited Victoria BC for a couple days and thought I'd pass on a great tip that I got from one of our newer Scouts. (I apologize for not remembering her name, but daughter is a student at University of Victoria.) The University rents out dorm rooms, suites, and even family housing during the summer. My room was only $52 and included breakfast. Visitors have free internet, access to a the library, coffee shops, cafes, a bar and a major bus exchange. You don't need to buy snacks, supplies or anything. It's all right there. Here is the website: http://housing.uvic.ca/
A lot of people take the Victoria Clipper ferry from Seattle over to Victoria, but I was by myself and in a bit of a hurry, so I flew Alaska/Horizon from Seattle. It was around $95 RT, the same price as the ferry, but it only took around half hour to fly there, and I didn't have to go to downtown Seattle and wait to board the ferry. I figured I saved half a day, as I had already been through a lot of downtown Victoria by the time the Clipper pulled up.
The bus system is fantastic in Victoria, even though you'll read some opinions that it's too far from the airport, doesn't run frequently enough. Don't believe any of it. The bus drivers are really helpful and nice.
My main goal was to visit Buchart Gardens, as I am a flower nut. When they say it's crowded in the middle of the day - you can believe it. That's when all the tours pull up. So go early or go in the evening when there are concerts in the main park. Buchart exceeded my expectations.
So think about going to Victoria whether by air or by water, or do one of each way. You'll probably think it's as beautiful as I did.
Mitzi Titzer - May 2008:
A little extra info... Frontier has an agreement with the Victoria Clipper as well. We went through the Frontier Pass Bureau for Clipper tickets last month and we paid only $15 round trip! another option is to show your Frontier badge at the Victoria Clipper ticket window.
Cheryl Hydrick - July 2007:
If you fly in for an overnight trip, make sure you see Stanley Park and Granville Island. If you stay downtown both are accessible by foot. Walk down to the Bay and follow the path towards the bridge to catch the $2.50 ferry to Granville Island where you will find a wonderful market in several buildings with fresh produce, baked goods, and crafts. Be sure to be hungry when you go there. The park has extensive walking trails and many kinds of flora and wildlife to view. Be sure to sit out with the towns people and watch the sunset, as many gather there after work to sit on the grass and enjoy the evening. For an overnight you do not need a car, as there are many things to do by foot. A cab ride into town is around $30, and a bus is available from the airport for a small amount. The town is in construction for the 2010 Olympics and building monorails to the airport etc.
Mike Summers - February 2010:
Even though we don't fly to Vancouver anymore, it's an easy two-hour drive from Seattle. Rental car companies are okay with crossing the border (don't forget your Passport). There are a couple of Native American Casinos along the drive north from Seattle on Interstate 5, which I stopped and visited. I had been to Vancouver in 2008 when we flew there. I went again during the 2010 Winter Olympics. It's a great town. Here's the city's visitor website that includes information about what to see and do: http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/ . It has great vistas, enjoyable people-watching, nice parks, and great food. I especially like the Yaletown Brewery at 1111 Mainland Street. It's website is www.markjamesgroup.com Nearby is the Hamilton Street Grill, which is a close second to the Yaletown. Here's their website: http://www.hamiltonstreetgrill.com/ . We also liked the Dockside Brewing Company, which is inside the Granville Island Hotel. It's expensive, but for special occasions it's a great place (Website: http://docksidebrewing.com/ ). On the east side of town we enjoyed Steamworks which is in the Gastown District. Website: http://www.steamworks.com/ . I would also recommend renting bicycles at Bayshore Bike Rentals www.bayshorebikerentals.ca If you rent a bike, make sure to ask for a bike lock. Then, you can stop somewhere and not worry about theft while eating or shopping. Stanley Park is a great place to bike/run/walk through. It's on the north end of the city, and it's enormous. You can reach it easily from any trail within the city. Vancouver map: http://vancouver.micromaps.com/ . Granville Island is also a nice place to bike or walk to. You can easily spend a comfortable two or three days visiting the city. If you do fly into town on another airline, the lightrail does connect the airport to the city. Here's a couple of websites: http://www.bcpassport.com/vancouver-public-transportation/vancouver-skytrain.aspx and http://www.skytrain.info/ which will also help youn travel around within the city.
Enjoy!
Mike Summers
Kelowna (Okanagan Lake) B.C.:
Five and one-half hours north of Spokane by car (and Seattle) is the city of Kelowna, British Columbia (don't forget your passport). The town is located on the shore of Okanagan Lake and is surrounded by vineyards that have put this city on the map. The city (Websites:
http://www.kelowna.ca/cm/site3.aspx and http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-481921-kelowna_vacations-i) has a population of around 110,000. If you want to fly, United has one flight daily from LAX. Alaska Air has three dailies from Seattle. It's well worth the trip for the wine. Many Okanagan wineries don't produce enough to distribute to the U.S. Plus, winter's freezing temperatures means the regions famous ice wines are in full production. If you visit in the summer, head over to downtown Kelowna's Stuart Park (Web info: http://www.kelowna.ca/CM/Page2062.aspx ) where there are many sailboats seen out on the lake (Website:
http://www.perfectfitvacations.com/index.php?custom_page=kelowna ). If you like wine, there are a number of winery tours (Website:
http://www.discoverokanagantours.com/winetours.htm ) that you can try. In the winter, the locals love snow biking (Website:
http://www.monasheeadventuretours.com/ ). Check out Monashee Adventure Tours where you can experience the thrill of speeding downhill on one of their hybrid bikes. Or you can use the bikes to do a wine tour! A former fruit packing district, Kelowna's six block cultural center includes emerging Ellis Street, with plenty of new condos and boutiques. The Hotel Eldorado (Website:
http://www.hoteleldoradokelowna.com/ ) is thequintessential lakeside retreat. The landmark building has it's own marina and liquor store. Prices start at $109.00 per night. Raudz (Website: http://raudz.com/RauDZ/RauDZ.html ) is the place to eat. Try to get a table facing the open kitchen and watch the chefs in action. Another favorite place is Tonics Pub and Grill (Website: http://tonicspub.ca/ ) . Try the peppercorn NY Steak and jumbo shrimp. Here's a website for other restaurants in Kelowna: http://kelownarestaurants.info/ . A fun experience is taking a tour at Urban Distilleries (Website: http://www.urbandistilleries.ca/ ). Our tour included a visit with owner Mike Urban. Then we went to the tasting room for a flight of spirits. We especially liked his single-malt whiskey. Other excellent adult establishments that you can visit include East Kelowna Cider Company (Website: http://www.eastkelownacider.com/ ), Tree Brewing Company (Website:
http://www.treebeer.com/ ), and Okanagan Spirits (Website: http://www.okanaganspirits.com/ ). All are worth a visit! Winter in Kelowna brings ice wine, the intense, sweet dessert wine for which Canada is famous. Three great wineries would include Mission Hill, which feels more like a monastery than a winery (Websites: http://www.missionhillwinery.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Hill_Winery ); Summerhill Pyramid Winery is about ten minutes south of the city and has an excellent Riesling (Website: http://www.summerhill.bc.ca/ ); and Inniskillin (Website: http://www.kelowna.com/inniskillin-okanagan-vineyards ), which is a 90 minute drive from town, but the wines and vistas are worth the car time. Take a drive or a flight to this aprt of Canada. You'll love it!